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But signs of a slowdown are mounting, highlighting the BoE's dilemma as it continues to grapple with inflation. But the BoE looks set to keep on raising rates with inflation still more than three times its 2% target. Below are key readings of Britain's economy that the BoE will assess before its next scheduled announcement on interest rates on Sept. 21. But many analysts expect the lagged impact of the BoE's rate rises to hit spending soon, adding to the drag on the economy. Many economists think the delayed impact of higher interest rates and still elevated inflation will hit growth in the coming months.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BoE, Andrew Bailey, GfK, Sumanta Sen, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Bank, Bank of England, Brexit, P, CIPS, Nationwide, Halifax, Reuters Graphics LABOUR, Employers, European Union, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ UK pay deals cool for first time in 2023, easing pressure on BoE: XpertHR
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Median basic pay deals in the three months to the end of July fell to 5.7% following six consecutive quarters at a record 6%, human resources publication and data provider XpertHR said. Pay awards remained below the rate of inflation. Sheila Attwood, senior content manager at XpertHR, said pay awards had likely hit their peak and expects the gap between pay deals and inflation to narrow. However, official figures from the Office for National Statistics showed annual wage growth excluding bonuses rose to 7.8% in the three months to June, the highest in records going back to 2001. XpertHR said median pay awards for the public sector stood at 5% in the year to July, up from 3.2% in the year before.

Persons: Kevin Coombs, XpertHR, BoE, Sheila Attwood, Attwood, Suban Abdulla, Andy Bruce Organizations: REUTERS, Companies Bank of England, Bank of England, Office, National Statistics, Thomson Locations: Canary Wharf, London, Britain, XpertHR

Net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, stood at 4.3 billion pounds ($5.49 billion) last month, less than the median forecast of 5.0 billion pounds in a Reuters poll of economists. In the first four months of the financial year, borrowing stood at 56.6 billion pounds. "As inflation slows, it's vital that we don’t alter our course and continue to act responsibly with the public finances," Hunt said in a statement after the data. Interest costs rose by 1.5 billion pounds compared with July last year to 7.7 billion pounds, the highest for July since records began in April 1997. The public finances were boosted by inflows of self-assessed income tax receipts which are typically strong in July, which stood at 11.8 billion pounds, 2.5 billion pounds more than in July last year.

Persons: Jeremy Hunt, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Hunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss's, Ruth Gregory, Gregory, Gabriella Dickens, William Schomberg, Sachin Ravikumar, Andrew Heavens, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Bank of England, Conservative Party, Treasury, Capital Economics, Senior, National Statistics, Britain's, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Take Five: Summer at Jackson Hole
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Jason Reed Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) - It's summer camp season and not to be left out, U.S. rate setters and overseas pals gather in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to talk central banking. U.S. Federal Reserve officials (plus friends from the ECB, BoE and BOJ) descend on Jackson Hole, Wyoming on Aug. 24-26 for their annual central bank confab. Inflation remains sticky in places and investors want to know how long it will take for central banks to switch to easing. European PMIs could provide a bigger signal on whether the European Central Bank will hike again in September and if the Bank of England opts for a big rate increase. Turkey's central bank is poised to raise rates on Thursday for the third time in a row since Hafize Gaye Erkan was appointed as governor in early June.

Persons: Jason Reed, Ira Iosebashvili, Li Gu, Yoruk, Rosario, Marc Jones, Rachel Savage, BoE, Jackson, Vladimir Putin, Hafize Gaye Erkan, Erkan, Tayyip Erdogan, Dhara Ranasinghe, Stephen Coates Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, U.S . Federal Reserve, ECB, Nvidia, CARE, HK, China, European Central Bank, Bank of England, West, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S, Jackson Hole , Wyoming, China, Ira, New York, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Jorgelina, London, Johannesburg, confab, CHINA, Beijing, United States, European, Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Egypt, Turkey

Official data showed sales volumes last month were 1.2% lower than in June. Food stores sales volumes fell by a monthly 2.6% while non-food stores sales volumes fell by 1.7%. However, July's data represented only the second time that sales volumes fell on a month-to-month basis so far in 2023, suggesting resilience in consumer demand. Market research firm GfK reported last month that consumer confidence fell in July for the first time since January. Retail sales volumes were 3.2% lower than a year earlier, the ONS said, compared with economists' forecasts for a 2.1% decline.

Persons: Sterling, Heather Bovill, Ruth Gregory, GfK, Samuel Tombs, BoE, Tombs, Spencer, James Davey, Kate Holton, Susan Fenton Organizations: Reuters, Office, National Statistics, Department, Bank of England, Capital Economics, Macroeconomics, Thomson

The U.S. dollar index was 0.097% higher on the day at 103.56, after hitting a two-month high of 103.59. The greenback has drawn support from a recent run of U.S. economic data reinforcing the view that interest rates will remain high for some time. The Australian dollar was last 0.44% lower at $0.64, having tumbled more than 0.9% to a trough of $0.6365 following the employment data release. The Norwegian crown rose from six-week lows against the dollar and the euro on Thursday after Norges Bank raised interest rates, as expected, and said it was likely to hike again in September. Against the dollar , the Norwegian crown was last up 0.22% to 10.60, having hit 10.66 earlier in the session.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Adam Button, it's, Kathy Lien, Sterling, BoE, Hannah Lang, Joice Alves, Rae Wee, Angus MacSwan, Kirsten Donovan, Alexandra Hudson, Sandra Maler Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Investors, U.S, Fed, Bank of Japan, Zealand, Norges Bank, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Norwegian, Washington, London, Singapore

☆ FTSE 100 drops as inflation remains sticky
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The London Stock Exchange Group offices are seen in the City of London, Britain, December 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummaryCompanies FTSE 100 down 0.2%, FTSE 250 off 0.2%Aug 16 (Reuters) - The FTSE 100 index continued its sell-off on Wednesday after data showed that underlying inflation remained high, building a case for more interest rate hikes by the Bank of England (BoE), while Marshalls fell on lower half-year profit. The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) fell 0.2% by 0704 GMT, languishing at over one-month lows as the sterling rose 0.14% to $1.2718, right after the data. Annual consumer price inflation cooled to 6.8% in July from June's 7.9%, as the BoE and a Reuters poll of economists had predicted. However, core inflation came in at a hotter-than-expected 6.9% in July, while service rose to 7.4% from 7.2% in June.

Persons: Toby Melville, BoE, Siddarth, Nivedita Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Bank of England, Marshalls, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, June's, Beijing, Bengaluru

The ONS said falling gas and electricity prices were the biggest driver behind the drop in inflation, while food price inflation also eased. Despite the drop in the headline figure, Britain retains one of the highest rates of price growth in Western Europe, with only Iceland and Austria suffering higher inflation. The BoE is watching core inflation - which strips out volatile food and energy prices - and consumer services prices closely. Services inflation picked up to 7.4% from 7.2% in June. Financial markets on Wednesday showed a roughly two-thirds chance that the BoE's Bank Rate will hit 6% in February, up from 5.25% now.

Persons: Phil Noble, BoE, Sterling, Ruth Gregory, Jeremy Hunt, Andy Bruce, William Schomberg Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, National Statistics, U.S, ONS, Bank, Capital Economics, Financial, Manufacturers, Thomson Locations: Altrincham, Britain, Bank of England, Western Europe, Iceland, Austria, BoE's

☆ High services costs make UK rate-cutting laggard
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Governor of the Bank of England Andrew Bailey speaks as he attends a press conference for the Monetary Policy Report August 2023, at the Bank of England in London, Britain, August 3, 2023. Alastair Grant/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - UK inflation is slowing, according to many metrics. Unfortunately, those are not the ones the Bank of England values the most. Prices in that category grew 7.4% in July, faster than June’s 7.2%, due to more expensive restaurants, hotels and airfares. Policymakers keep a close eye on services’ prices and wage growth, which hit a record in the three months to June.

Persons: Bank of England Andrew Bailey, Alastair Grant, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, Francesco Guerrera, Exor’s Philips, Bain, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Bank of England, Monetary, REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, Bank of, Office, National Statistics . Services, European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bank of England, June’s

☆ Sea sails recklessly into choppy e-commerce waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Singapore-based Sea Limited Chairman and CEO Forrest Li, speaks during an interview with CNBC following his company's IPO on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., October 20, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Acquire Licensing RightsHONG KONG, Aug 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sea's (SE.N) boss Forrest Li has picked a turbulent time to rock the boat. But Li's declaration on Tuesday that it's time to "ramp up" investments again risks wiping out the hard-earned investor goodwill. Despite Li's assurances that Sea will keep emphasising self-sufficiency and cost efficiencies, investors promptly erased some $10 billion, or 29%, in market value. In July, the latter injected $845 million into its Southeast Asian arm, signalling a price war may be on the horizon.

Persons: Forrest Li, Brendan McDermid, HONG KONG, Li, China's Alibaba, Robyn Mak, Exor’s Philips, Bain, BoE, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Reuters, HK, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: Singapore, New York, U.S, HONG, York

☆ Morning Bid: Stock markets tense as China gloom builds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the Frankfurt stock exchange after risks have climbed to multi-month highs in recent days as concerns over contagion from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and instability at European bank Credit Suisse gripped the markets, in Frankfurt, Germany, March 17, 2023. Markets currently seem all but certain of another hike from the BOE, with a more than 90% chance seen for a 25 basis point increase in September. Expectations lean towards rates having to go even higher in the future, in contrast to the BOE's peers in the EU and the United States. The euro zone also gets an economic data drop on Wednesday, with preliminary Q2 GDP figures estimated to show meager growth of 0.2% and industrial production data likely to be negative. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve minutes are sure to garner attention as markets seek more insight into the Fed's thought process.

Persons: Brigid Riley China's, BOE, Brigid Riley, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse, REUTERS, Staff, Nikkei, CPI, Bank of England's, EU, European Central Bank, Federal, PPI, Cisco Systems, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Silicon, Germany, Asia, Europe, United States, West, New Zealand, China

[1/2] Chinese Yuan and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this illustration taken March 10, 2023. That represented the highest annual growth rate since comparable records began in 2001. "BoE Sep rate hike bets have jumped ... providing support for the GBP," said Scotiabank chief FX strategist Shaun Osborne. The yuan briefly bounced back as major state-owned banks were seen selling dollars to support the local currency. Punctuating those worries, Chinese data on industrial output, retail sales and investment released shortly after the PBOC's rate cut showed unexpected slowdowns.

Persons: Yuan, Dado Ruvic, Sterling, BoE, Shaun Osborne, Scotiabank's Osborne, Osborne, Shinichiro Kadota, Shunichi Suzuki, Joice Alves, Samuel Indyk, Brigid Riley, Kevin Buckland, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of, Kremlin, Bank of England, Scotiabank, People's Bank of China, U.S, Traders, Barclays, Finance, Thomson Locations: Russian

Annual pay growth including bonuses also accelerated, hitting 8.2%, the fastest outside the coronavirus pandemic period when government job subsidies distorted the data. Two-year British government bond yields, which are sensitive to speculation about BoE rate changes, hit their highest level in a month. Samuel Tombs, an economist with Pantheon Macroeconomics, said wage increases were set to slow in the second half of 2023. "The momentum in wage growth still is too strong for the Committee to take a break just yet," Tombs said. However, inactivity due to long-term sickness rose to a new record high, adding to the problems for employers seeking to fill job vacancies and adding to the pressure on pay growth.

Persons: BoE, Sterling, Samuel Tombs, Tombs, Andrew Bailey, Bailey, it's, Sharon Graham, Sachin Ravikumar, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Reuters, Sterling, Bank of England, Pantheon, Public, Unite, Union, Thomson Locations: Britain

☆ Salesforce cage-rattlers leave in profitable peace
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters Breakingviews) - For activist investors in Salesforce (CRM.N), the low-hanging fruit should suffice. Fast growth and big-ticket acquisitions that Salesforce boss Marc Benioff had pursued turned anathema last year. The stock price roughly halved, falling faster than the Nasdaq-100 Technology Sector Index (.NDXT). Benioff eventually acquiesced, slashing 10% of the workforce, disbanding the deals committee and unveiling a $20 billion stock buyback plan. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Porte, Jeff Smith’s, Dan Loeb’s, Marc Benioff, ValueAct, Benioff, Jonathan Guilford, Exor’s Philips, Bain, BoE, Jeffrey Goldfarb, Sharon Lam Organizations: Viva Technology, Porte de, Reuters, Big Tech, Nasdaq, Profit, Elliott Investment Management, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Salesforce, Salesforce’s

☆ UK stocks tumble as record wage growth spurs rate hike worries
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Siddarth S | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A man shelters under an umbrella as he walks past the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, August 24, 2015. "Speed of wage growth will support the more hawkish end of the Bank of England. The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 index (.FTSE) declined 1.2% by the first hour of trading, while mid-cap stocks (.FTMC) also fell 0.7%. Life Insurance stocks (.FTNMX303010) fell over 2%, leading sectoral losses, dragged down by an over 3% drop in shares of British insurer Legal & General (LGEN.L). Most sectoral indexes were in the red after the wage growth data, while mid-cap stocks (.FTMC) also fell 0.7%.

Persons: Suzanne Plunkett, BoE, Richard Flax, Spencer, Siddarth, Rashmi Aich, Maju Samuel Organizations: London Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Legal, Bank of England, Money, Life Insurance, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Bengaluru

☆ Chesapeake to complete Eagle Ford basin exit with SilverBow deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas producer Chesapeake Energy (CHK.O) said on Monday it would sell its remaining Eagle Ford assets to SilverBow Resources (SBOW.N) for $700 million, completing its exit from the south Texas basin. Chesapeake said last year it viewed the Eagle Ford acreage as no longer core to its strategy and would focus on the gas-rich Marcellus and Haynesville shale formations. The Oklahoma City-based energy producer also faced pressure from activist investment firm Kimmeridge Energy Management, which has urged a shift toward solely natural gas production. SilverBow said the deal, expected to close by the end of this year, would make it the largest public pure-play Eagle Ford operator and would immediately add to key financial and operating metrics. The deal consists of a $650 million upfront cash payment due at closing and an additional $50 million deferred cash payment 12 months after close.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Chesapeake, Marcellus, boe, SilverBow, Arunima Kumar, Sriraj Organizations: Chesapeake Energy, REUTERS, Eagle Ford, SilverBow Resources, Energy, Oklahoma, Kimmeridge Energy Management, Chesapeake, Eagle, Thomson Locations: Texas, Eagle Ford, Dimmit, Webb, Chesapeake, Bengaluru

☆ Bain puts Chindata minority owners out of misery
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Aug 14 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Bain Capital has just taught a refresher course in the perils of being a minority investor. On Friday the buyout firm agreed to take Chindata private in a deal that values the Chinese data centre operator it already controls at $3.2 billion. But those who bought in when the U.S. private equity firm took Chindata public in 2020 or were hoping for a bidding war – or both – have good reason to be disappointed. Second, a unit of state-owned conglomerate China Merchants Group countered Bain with a $3.4 billion deal, which Chindata took a month to acknowledge. And it has let investors holding another fifth or so of Chindata stock into the buyout group.

Persons: Bain’s, Bain, Chindata, Antony Currie, BoE, Robyn Mak, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: MELBOURNE, Reuters, Bain Capital, China Merchants Group, China Merchants, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ Exor’s Philips bet looks well-timed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Agnelli family’s investment company on Monday said it bought a 15% stake in the toothbrushes-to-defibrillators group for 2.6 billion euros ($2.8 billion). Philips’ shares are down some 62% since the peak in April 2021, and it now looks much cheaper than the sum of its parts. Based on peer multiples, its diagnostics business could be worth 14 times 2024 EBITDA, while its connected care unit, which helps hospitals manage patient data, might be valued at 18.5 times EBITDA. Lastly, throw in the consumer division, which makes toasters and TVs, and could fetch 12 times EBITDA. Using Refinitiv forecasts, that would imply a total enterprise value of 33 billion euros, and equity of some 24 billion euros, after taking off debt and 2.4 billion euros for legal costs estimated by Bernstein analysts.

Persons: John Elkann, Agnelli, Philips ’, EBITDA, Bernstein, Roy Jakobs, Philips, Karen Kwok, Bain, BoE, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Koninklijke Philips, U.S . Department of Justice, Philips, Twitter, FC Barcelona’s, Messi, Siemens, Thomson

☆ UK employers plan 5% pay rises, many resort to counteroffers: CIPD
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pay expectations in the public sector rose to 4%, the highest recorded by the CIPD, from 3.3%. Growth in earnings excluding bonuses - which typically runs slightly higher than pay settlements - was an annual 7.3% in the three months to May. The CIPD said businesses were also becoming more likely to match or exceed pay offers by rivals for their staff. However, almost a third of employers believed counteroffers were ineffective at keeping staff. "For some employers, counteroffers may only be valuable as a short-term option and ... employees will move if wider aspects of the job, such as workload, autonomy and environment, don't meet their expectations," the CIPD said.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, BoE, David Milliken, William Schomberg Organizations: Chartered Institute, Personnel, Private, of England, Data, Thomson

Official data on Friday showed the economy grew 0.2% in the second quarter, against the consensus for a flat reading in a Reuters poll of economists. The strong showing bolstered bets that the BoE would keep on raising interest rates, given the central bank stressed this month that resilience in the economy was one of the factors that would underpin its judgement. The central bank itself had pencilled in growth of 0.1% for the second quarter. "With much of the drag from higher interest rates still to come, we are sticking to our below-consensus forecast that the UK is heading for a mild recession later this year," said economist Ruth Gregory from consultancy Capital Economics. Reporting by Andy Bruce and David Milliken; editing by William James, Kate Holton and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sterling, BoE, Neil Birrell, Jeremy Hunt, Ruth Gregory, Andy Bruce, David Milliken, William James, Kate Holton, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank of England, U.S ., Reuters, Bank of, Miton, National Statistics, Manufacturing, Reuters Graphics, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, United States

☆ Take Five: Are we there yet?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

China retail sales data due on Tuesday will show whether spending can cling to the around-3% growth rate in June - a far cry from the double-digit readings earlier in the year. Meanwhile, investors will get another look at the health of the U.S. consumer with Tuesday’s retail sales report. June retail sales, released last month, rose less than expected, but nonetheless showed consumers weathered higher interest rates. Chart shows change in U.S. retail sales on a monthly basis. After shooting to a nine-year peak of 6.55% - prompting the central bank to step in to restore calm - yields have settled around 0.58%.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, Ira Iosebashvili, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Christine Lagarde, there's, BoE, Morgan Stanley, Sharon Singleton Organizations: PMI, Reuters Graphics Reuters, European Central Bank, Reuters, Bank of, BOE, Bank of England, Citi, Confederation, Thomson Locations: West, Britain, U.S, Tokyo, New York, London, China, Jackson Hole , Wyoming

LONDON — The U.K. economy beat expectations with 0.2% growth in the second quarter, boosted by household consumption and manufacturing output, the Office for National Statistics said Friday. The economy expanded by 0.5% in June, beating a forecast of 0.2% growth. It follows monthly GDP growth of 0.1% in May and 0.2% in April. Output was bolstered by 1.6% growth in manufacturing and 0.7% in production in the second quarter, while services grew by 0.1%. In its most recent monetary policy report, it said it expects quarterly GDP growth to remain around 0.2% in the near term.

Persons: eking, King Charles III, Mike Coop, CNBC's, Coop, Jeremy Hunt, BoE, Ruth Gregory Organizations: National Statistics, Reuters, Bank of, ONS, Morningstar, Bank of England, of England, IMF, Finance, Capital Economics Locations: Germany, France, Italy

☆ UK GDP jump offers little relief to BoE
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The larger-than-forecast 0.5% rise in GDP in June meant that output grew 0.2% in the second quarter compared to the previous three months. That’s a modest acceleration but not enough to force the Bank of England to hike rates again in September. Jeremy Hunt, Britain’s finance minister, was quick to claim credit for the GDP numbers. Less rational is the sharp jump in sterling and UK bond yields, fuelled by market expectations that the BoE will now have to raise rates in September. Sure, June GDP numbers were strong but they were flattered by the absence of the bank holiday that had depressed May’s figures.

Persons: That’s, Jeremy Hunt, BoE, Francesco Guerrera, Aimee Donnellan, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, England soccer, Bank of, Conservative, Twitter, Siemens, Thomson Locations: Bank of England, Britain

☆ Stingy UK bank saving rates may become a non-issue
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Banks are keeping the fruits of higher interest rates for themselves. Between January 2022 and May 2023, the Bank of England hiked rates by 4.25 percentage points. The nine largest UK banks boosted the interest on easy-access savings accounts by 1.18 percentage points, the FCA found. The upshot is that they’ll have to bid more aggressively for funding in the future, for example by raising interest rates on savings accounts. Second-quarter results suggest it too is paying more for funding: interest expense almost doubled between the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2023.

Persons: juicier, BoE, George Hay, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Authority, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of, FCA, Monday, Reuters Graphics Reuters, NatWest, Barclays ’, Lloyds, Banco Santander, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, European Central Bank, Bank of England, ECB, Spanish, Financial, HSBC, Santander UK, Nationwide Building Society, TSB Bank, Virgin Money, Bank, Thomson Locations: Britain, Spain, Bank of England, Italy, Hungary

☆ Indian lenders’ earnings get credit reality check
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A man checks his mobile phones in front of State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Kolkata, India, February 9, 2018. REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri/File PhotoMUMBAI, Aug 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - A near three-fold jump in net profit did little to cheer State Bank of India (SBI.NS) investors. April to June is seasonally weak for farm credit, and Khara said some delinquent accounts have already bounced back. Granted, overall delinquencies remain low: gross non-performing assets are just 2.76% of SBI’s portfolio, and less than half that at HDFC Bank. The fear is, as one executive told Breakingviews, that this is worsening as pandemic-era support schemes wind down and interest rates rise.

Persons: Dinesh Khara, Khara, Breakingviews, Shritama Bose, headwinds, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: State Bank of India, REUTERS, Reuters, HDFC Bank, Bajaj Finance, Services, Twitter, Adidas, InBev, Thomson Locations: Kolkata, India, MUMBAI

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